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by Brad Stucki

  Nemesis eased back on his sensory touch, using only the smallest of tendrils to observe but not contact. Each of the three had a gestalt crystal embedded. That was the difference and it blurred his observation of them. He knew if he reached out to make full contact, like they tried to do with him, the pathways would clear and become stronger than any other.

  Carefully, he probed around, observing and realized the power of the gestalt crystal could be enhanced to block contact, to make him invisible. He realized this through the blurring effect of two of these three. Those two, those sent to seek him, had somehow inadvertently discovered this, though they probably didn’t even realize themselves what they'd done. It must be a small, instinctive defense against what he’d sent against them earlier. Their ‘essences’ were dampened, shielded as evidenced by the blurring. How they’d figured it out he didn’t know. The other was a blazing essence, undiluted and pure through the effect of that gestalt crystal.

  From that difference in the 'feeling' Nemesis could tell what he needed to do to strengthen the blurring and cause just the right resonance to sync it and create a barrier which would obscure and hide him from their searches. They wouldn’t be able to find him any longer as he’d found them, and as they’d found him earlier.

  He pulled out and away. Still, as he returned his awareness he watched the plants, the animal life, even the nutrients in the soil continued the accelerated growth. Nemesis was amazed.

  “The power of creation!” he said aloud as his awareness returned to his stone room. It seemed small, cramped, and bleak.

  Nemesis glanced down, delving into the article. He moved the power back, turning it off. It calmed and the pulsing waves ceased, though he could still feel that the residual effects of the pulses continued all around, wherever they had initially touched. How long did this effect last?

  Then Nemesis wondered something else. What did his Masters want with this power? Such incredible power! He had many questions for his Masters, most of which he knew they wouldn’t answer. They had their own agenda for him which they hadn’t yet revealed.

  Still, they had proven to him all he could do was obey or be punished. He blanched at the remembrance of the punishment he’d suffered for not succeeding on the previous world. He clenched his eyes closed and a tear ran unnoticed down his cheek. His Masters had been somewhat mollified by his presenting them with the two Articles of Power. And now, if his Masters could perceive his current thoughts, he’d be punished again . . . which he could not bear.

  Then it occurred to him, had he shut himself off from his Masters when he 'hid' himself from his enemies? Could he 'create' a barrier from his Masters?

  Nemesis gazed on the Article of Power sitting on the pedestal. He slowly began drawing its power without turning it on, and thought . . . about shielding, about blocking himself. If his Masters said anything he would say he’d done it to protect himself from detection. That he needed to be invisible so he could finish his work without interference.

  “There.” It was done. He could feel how he’d created a small, thin barrier, blocking any personal emanations. Would it block his Masters? He could only hope, because he had questions. Questions his Masters wouldn’t provide, but which he needed to know for himself about why he was being used.

  Chapter 9

  Javin, Sauros and Kokos had continued their discussion until the King had told them he would leave Kokos to continue working with them. Clearly, he didn’t understand the half of what they were discussing and didn’t much care, though he was mildly curious about them. It was work for the Keeper, not him.

  He did, however, extend every courtesy and called in servants to assign them a room and to see to their food and other needs. “You are now guests of our enclave. What is ours is yours,” he had said.

  Sauros had bowed formally, with Javin quickly following suit. “Our gracious thanks, your majesty,” Sauros had said. “Our services, such as they are, are yours to command.”

  With that, the king had left.

  Then Kokos, abashedly apologized for monopolizing them. “You must be very tired.”

  At that point, Javin realized he was. They had been traveling non-stop since arriving on this world and then hit with the psionic pulse from Nemesis. Javin looked at Sauros, who also looked a bit bedraggled.

  “You will go to your rooms and rest,” Kokos had continued. “After, we shall meet and continue.”

  They were escorted down one level and shown to accommodations. Their room was a smaller version of the audience room. It was about one quarter the size with two windows open to the outside with colorful tapestries tied back. Lichen covered the walls, providing light and at that point Javin wondered whether he would be able to sleep without any darkness. Apparently it never got dark in this subterranean world. Maybe I’ve been adapted to sleep in the light, Javin thought to himself.

  He continued to survey their surroundings. Their packs had been brought in and placed near the entrance. There were pedestals for decorative items and a washbasin filled with water and towels for cleaning. Also pitchers of water and the same punch they’d had in the audience room above sat on a tray near one of the windows. There was another tray set out with more of the same food.

  In the center of the room, a sunken area contained several oval pads of a deep, plush green. Javin assumed that was the sleeping area. He looked at Sauros.

  Sauros only nodded, and stepped down in the area, removing his belt knife and placing it on the small ledge, and arranged a couple of the pads. Javin moved to glance outside their room. There were no guards posted, and a courtesan, a female, hovered down the hall a bit. She looked at Javin, questioning. Javin shook his head and stepped back into the room.

  “I guess we really aren’t prisoners,” Javin said. “Kokos must be the trusting sort, and the king must really trust Kokos.”

  “Or Kokos must really know how to use her crystal, and has confidence in it,” Sauros said as he settled down. As soon as he shut his eyes, Javin heard his breathing deepen. Javin moved down to the center, removing his knife also, and arranged a pad for himself. As soon as his eyes were closed, he was out, light or no.

  They both awoke at roughly the same time. They couldn’t tell how long they’d been asleep, but they could feel from each other they were both well rested. Javin was a bit stiff, but that was from the hiking and climbing he’d done the previous day. Or had more than a day passed? And by the way, how did they measure time here, since there was no real night and day?

  Sauros stretched, stood and glanced at Javin who was still reclining. “Though I cannot read the specifics of what you are wondering, I have a basic idea. Perhaps with time we will be able to read each other’s thoughts?”

  “That could be scary,” Javin said. “My thoughts seem to be all over the place as of late.”

  “Mine, too,” Sauros agreed as he moved to the wash basin and began to clean himself. “However, we can keep focused on the primary reason we are here.”

  “That’s true,” Javin said, remembering anew the reason why they’d come and the price they’d paid along the way. “We have to figure out how to find Nemesis and get those Articles back.”

  “Perhaps our new friends can help.”

  “I believe they think we’re here to help them,” Javin said.

  “Perhaps it is one in the same . . . or at least it should be,” Sauros said.

  At that moment there was a slight tapping on the side of the doorframe and Kokos came into the room.

  “Happy rising,” she said cheerily. “I trust you rested well?”

  “Yes, thanks,” Javin said, bowing a bit awkwardly. Sauros moved over to the food and drink tray and Javin took his place at the wash table. “How long did we sleep?” Javin asked.

  “You rested for two periods.” Kokos answered. "Now is the period of rising and work."

  “How do you measure time here?” Javin asked. “Where we come from we have days and nights, a period of light and a period of darkness.”


  “Darkness? What is darkness?” Kokos asked.

  Javin wasn’t sure how to answer. How do you explain darkness to someone who has never experienced it?

  “When you close your eyes,” Sauros interjected, “you cannot see. That is darkness. Even when your eyes are open, and you cannot see clearly. That is darkness too. The absence of light is darkness.”

  Javin thought that was a good description.

  “Where we come from, we do not have lichen on the walls to give light. Instead, our light comes from a sun, or fire or lamps. We have periods of light during what we call, day, which is when the sun is below the horizon. What we call night is during this time when our sun is not in the sky. It is used to measure time and tells us when it is time to rest and time to work.

  Kokos was clearly confused.

  “Our periods are set for working, resting and for sleeping.” She tilted her head, still trying to discern what they had meant by their terms. “A total cycle is all three periods. So you slept through the resting and sleeping periods. You were very tired."

  "That we were," Javin said. "How do you tell between the periods? How do you know what time it is?"

  Again Kokos tilted her head. "You just know. All nature knows what time it is. When it is the rest period, all things slow, preparing for the sleeping or dormant period. When it is time to sleep, you feel it, even the plants, animals. Even the lowliest of insects know when it is the sleep period. And when it's time for rising, you rise and work."

  Kokos looked between Javin and Sauros. "It must be very different where you come from if you don't even know what time it is without some 'light' or 'darkness' to tell you."

  "It is much different from here," Sauros agreed. "But your people and ours are similar. We may look different on the outside, but here . . ." Sauros pointed to his breast, "we are much alike."

  "This is so," Kokos agreed. "I have sensed it."

  "Through the crystal?" Javin asked, picking up on this.

  "Through the 'Gift,' yes," Kokos agreed. "Come, we have much to discuss yet and I would like to take you to a private place where we will not be disturbed by curious eyes." She turned back to the doorway and raised her eyebrows at the small grouping of courtiers who had gathered, staring with curiosity and listening intently. "Bring some packs so we may take our breakfast with us," Kokos ordered. Two of the courtiers sped away. "The rest of you have other duties, I'm sure." They slowly moved away. Javin smiled and turned to Sauros.

  "Sauros always did attract a crowd."

  "Speak for yourself hairless one," Sauros answered, showing his canines in a wicked smile.

  Chapter 10

  Kokos gathered food and drink into the packs once they had been delivered. Javin and Sauros strapped on their knives, and each took up a pack and followed Kokos from the room.

  She took them down through the enclave to the main entrance they'd come in. "I want to show you to a quiet place where I can have the full story of why you are here. My king has commanded it. I must know too, as Keeper. If the End Times are upon us we need to know."

  At the entrance, Kokos was stopped by a man of her people. It was different, though. He seemed stiff, overly formal, yet seemed as if he knew Kokos intimately and was holding back from showing anything.

  Javin watched carefully and realized it wasn't as much the way they were acting as what Javin could 'sense' between them. It must be the crystal. He looked at Sauros, who raised his eyes and nodded back to the pair. He could feel it too.

  "Keeper," the man was saying after a formal greeting. "You must come and see what is happening in the fields. The King has been notified and there waiting. It is something you must be consulted on. Perhaps the histories have a record of something similar. If there is, though, I know it not."

  "We will come, Kaffen," Kokos said, with equally formality. Javin sensed again an underlying intimacy which had made them both uncomfortable. "You should come, too," Kokos turned back to Javin and Sauros.

  They were led from the entrance, back around the cliff face to their right. It took them a while, but then they moved out of the cleared area against the massive stone pillar and moved off into the dense foliage. This time they followed a well marked and cleared path. Evidently, since they were within their enclave and away from the main road, they didn't have to camouflage their trails. This indicated there may not be complete peace between all the enclaves. The subtle defenses making it hard for large groups to travel directly into this enclave indicated they didn't entirely trust an open door policy.

  They walked for a bit in silence then came to an area where the foliage changed. It opened out into a broad expanse that had orderly rows of different types of plants. They were being cultivated and tended. These were their crops.

  Kaffen lead them around the outside of the cultivated area to a gathering of seven or eight people, men and women Javin thought by the looks of them. The king was with them.

  "Ah, Keeper, " the king said by way of greeting. "I see you have brought our visitors along. That is good. Perhaps they have knowledge of this?"

  "Knowledge of what?" Javin asked.

  "Kaffen," the king gestured to the man who had led them here. "You are the Master Cultivator. Please explain."

  Their guide inclined his head to the king, then turned to all those gathered.

  "It was noticed a period ago. And you can see in the fields, here," he indicated the expanse of crops in front of them all. "Those which should be in fallow period have now bloomed and are returning to bearing strength – no – actually, they have exceeded anything we have seen before. They have started flourishing at an almost alarming rate. The other crops as well. Everything is accelerated; growing out of its designed pattern and stronger than anything we could have imagined. It is as if something has triggered a spurt of growth in them beyond what we've ever experienced."

  "And that is a problem?" one of the men standing with them asked.

  "We don't know," Kaffen said. "My tenders and I have seen nothing like it before, and we don't remember this being reported in any of the records. I don't believe it is natural, though I can't explain the cause. We were hoping the Keeper may recall something in the records?" he turned and bowed to Kokos.

  For a moment, she held still. Javin could tell she was a bit nervous at the attention, and she was also deep in thought. Or was she was searching for something within? Then Javin felt it. She was searching within. She was using the crystal in some fashion. Javin was impressed and he turned to Sauros. He nodded his head slightly indicating he felt it too.

  "There is nothing such as this," Kokos answered after a further moment. She spoke with authority. Those around her seemed to take it for granted she was right. Javin was impressed. Then something occurred to him.

  "Sauros," he turned to face him. "Remember that feeling we had while we were coming down into this world?" Those who were surrounding them tilted their heads in confusion. Javin ignored them.

  "Yes . . ." Sauros answered.

  "I don't feel it any more. Do you?" With all that had happened with them since arriving, Javin hadn't noticed the absence of the strange dampening feeling they had felt.

  "I do not," Sauros answered. "Do you think it has something to do with Nemesis?" Sauros asked, picking up on Javin's thoughts.

  "I do," Javin answered. "And probably this issue, too. Think of the two Articles of Power he has. He's been messing with them, experimenting and seeing what he can do with them."

  "It would fit," Sauros conceded. Javin could feel his guarded agreement. And then he could also feel the slight touch of another. It was Kokos, gently trying to join their inner circle. At first he bristled, almost lashing out in quick defense then held himself back. It was instinctive to fight, to defend especially with what had happened the last time they'd tried to touch another. Nemesis had almost killed them through that touch.

  Javin knew he had to trust Kokos so she would also trust them. She could teach them about the crystals, and the
y would certainly need the help of these people against Nemesis.

  Javin turned to Kokos and bowed to her. Then spoke aloud for the benefit of all the others, especially the king.

  "We think this might be the doing of a man we have come to your world to capture. He has stolen two Articles of Power and did great harm upon the world from which we came."

  The others looked at each other, clearly confused. The king turned to Kokos.

  "Do you understand what they are saying? Is there an enemy among us? What are these Articles of Power they speak of?"

  "I don't understand fully, majesty." Kokos said, her brow furrowed in thought as she tried to comprehend not only what she had heard Javin say, but what she felt along with it. "I do think that soon, and with close conversation, I will understand and be able to explain it to you. They are from a completely different place, and they have different experience than we. However, I know they are trustworthy. They have not tried to hide anything from me."

  Javin was relieved he'd made the quick decision to trust Kokos. Sauros put on hand on Javin's shoulder.

  "We will share all with the Keeper," Sauros said, bowing to the king. Javin bowed also, quickly following his example. "We are here to serve your people and make sure they suffer no harm from this man we are seeking. He is evil and has stolen items from us which bring him great power. We think he is the one who has made your crops grow so swiftly. He is using an Article of Power to do this. He is called Nemesis."

  "Will this harm our crops?" Kaffen moved forward. "They seem healthy, but with such rapid growth I worry their accelerated growth with burn the plants out. We cannot afford to lose all our crops to this. And there's another thing. I have noticed that all plants have started this rapid growth. You can see the encroachment coming.” He gestured to the surrounding jungle. Javin hadn’t noticed any difference though he didn’t have anything to measure it against. Others in the group looked around and some nodded. “We'll have to expend extra effort to keep our areas clear and our trails properly marked."